One in seven Aussies struggle to communicate
As the COVID-19 continues to drag on across the world, some people who caught the virus have yet to recover.
In a condition dubbed “long COVID”, sufferers experience brain fog, extreme fatigue, breathlessness, and other long term symptoms, despite no longer being infected.
A recent British study, published in The Lancet’s journal EClinical Medicine, surveyed over 3700 people across the world who had confirmed or suspected long COVID. Of the total 203 symptoms reported, difficulties with speech and language were reported by 48.6 percent of respondents.
“I had to terminate many phone calls because I could no longer comprehend the speakers nor communicate clearly with them,” one patient said about their symptoms.
One in seven people already struggle
But, these individuals aren’t the only Australians who face communication issues.
Currently, 1.2 million Australians struggle to communicate, and COVID-19-induced isolation and mandatory mask-wearing has increased the difficulty they face.
“If one in seven Australians are having difficulties understanding and using language, their entire ability to access and influence the world is impaired,” says Tim Kittel, the President of Speech Pathology Australia.
“This is further impacted … by the COVID environment we live in.
“Speech Pathology wants people with communication disabilities to be heard and recognised without judgement.”
Speech Pathology Australia, the national peak body for speech pathologists, hopes to support affected Australians by raising awareness of communication disabilities.
During the pandemic, the association has stressed the importance of health literacy and how poor health literacy can prevent individuals from seeking help when they need it.
“People who can’t communicate, who can’t understand information, or who can’t structure coherent arguments, are ultimately at risk of being overlooked, and not having their rights respected,” Mr Kittel explains.
“Success within entire systems including health, education, and justice, rely on the ability to communicate effectively.
“When people can access information, they are in control. They can make informed choices and ask questions.”
“We recognise that it’s important to be able to read and understand text, but we also need to recognise that being able to listen and speak is just as vital.
“And for 1.2 million Australians, this is not something that is easy to do.”